In the spring after a year long harvest, merchants and trade organizations will taste barrel samples of wine that are often only 6–8 months old. In the case of Bordeaux, where the final wine is often a blend of several grape varieties, the winemaker will try to craft an approximate blend to sample. The composition of the final wine may differ from the sample depending on how each barrel matures during the aging process. Based on the initial sample, the wines will be giving a preliminary “score” or wine rating based on the expected quality of the wine once it is bottled, released and has had time to mature.

An en primeur wine gives the owner the right to receive the respective bottles of wines once the producer has completed the maturing phase of the wine. Wine bought en primeur is often directly placed into custom-free storage holding, ‘in bond’. Known as a delicate method of investment, a purchase may ultimately be deemed a loss, or there may be considerable profit. For example, the 1982 vintage of Château Latour, was sold at £250 a case en primeur in 1983, while valued in 2007 at £9,000, although the major part of this price increase occurred after bottling.

It is a great chance to visit the “Superstars” in Bordeaux during en Primeur, such as “Chateau Lafite”, “Chateau Latour”, “Chateau Mouton”, “Chateau Margaux”, “Chateau Haut-Brion”, “Petrus”, “Le Pin”, “Chateau Ausone”, “Chateau Chevel- Blanc” etc. which are usually not open to public. You may also have the chance to meet the owners in the wineries.

If you are interested in En Primeur, you can leave a message in the bottom.

繁忙的收获季节过后，迎来令人振奋的春季波尔多期酒会，葡萄酒商酒商和贸易机构纷纷来到波尔多各大酒庄品尝新酒－仅仅6至8个月还未装瓶的酒。绝大多数波尔多酒是混酿，酿酒师将会根据当时情况混合出一款样品供大家品尝。最终装瓶酒的混酿比例可能会有所不同。根据最初的样品的质量和潜力，酒评家会给葡萄酒打出一个初始评分。

期酒会提供给酒商和葡萄酒爱好者一个提前购买葡萄酒的机会，葡萄酒一旦装瓶熟成后便会运送出去。在期酒会期间购买的酒会直接放在免税区保存。这是一种精心设计的投资方式，可能会亏损，也可能盈利。例如：1982年的拉图酒庄期酒在1983年期酒会时售价 250 英镑，在2007年 市场价格已经涨至 9000 英镑，涨的价格绝大多数是在装瓶之后。

期酒会给酒商和消费者提供了一个绝好的品尝波尔多超级名庄的机会，例如五大名庄－“拉菲酒庄”，“拉图酒庄”，“木桐酒庄”，“玛歌酒庄”，“红颜容酒庄”；波美侯的“柏翠酒庄”，“李鹏酒庄”；圣爱美浓的四大特A级酒庄“奥松酒庄”，“白马酒庄”，“柏菲酒庄”，“金钟酒庄”等等通常不对外开放的酒庄。你可能还会有幸在酒庄见到这些名庄的庄主。

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